


When the sunshine was brighter

by LadyKG



Series: echo through the ages [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Fix-It, Kakashi is confused, M/M, Obito goes back to when Naruto was little and decides to help team seven out, Time Travel, additional pairings to be found out when read, from young team seven's perspective, like seriously I'm not tagging these because they're more implied than anything so deal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2018-12-19 10:31:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11895849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKG/pseuds/LadyKG
Summary: He’s five when the man that can make himself appear out of thin air visits him the first time. The first thing Naruto notices is the way his eyes look sad. Lonely. Just like he feels.“Do you want to share some ramen?”





	1. Chapter 1

He’s five when the man that can make himself appear out of thin air visits him the first time. The first thing Naruto notices is the way his eyes look sad. Lonely. Just like he feels.

“Do you want to share some ramen?” It’s the only food he has (and the _best_ ) but if this man is sad then it’s the best thing to cheer him up. Sarutobi-ji always tells him that he shouldn’t talk to strangers, but if he’s already in Naruto’s home then he isn’t _really_ a stranger, right? (Besides, he hasn’t looked at him like the villagers do.)

There is a shift of feet, “That… would be nice.”

Naruto beams up at him.

The meeting isn’t really anything too special, except it sort of _is._ Because the man _listens_ to Naruto with a small smile and warm eyes that he still doesn’t understand. There are promises to return and not to tell and then Naruto finds nothing but an empty chair and an empty apartment.

It feels colder when the man isn’t there.

 

 

The second time Sakura meets him it’s at the park. He wears the same purple outfit as the first time and his hair is still a stark white even if it’s a lot longer.

She’s six and the mean girls from her academy class have just left. Her fists are clenched, arms wrapping tightly around her knees as she hides her forehead (too big, too ugly, too noticeable) from the world.

A hand comes to rest on her shoulder, “You shouldn’t listen to them.”

She sniffs even as she tries to suppress the need, “But what if they’re right and I’ll be a good for nothing shinobi?”

The hand squeezes before leaving altogether. There’s the shift of fabric and Sakura looks up to see the man sitting next to her. “The flowers that bloom the latest are the most beautiful, you know.” He looks down at her, and his eyes seem less empty than before. “I’m sure you’re going to make an amazing ninja, Sakura.”

She can’t help but giggle when he hands her a freshly grown and picked daisy.

 

 

The third time Sasuke meets the strange man is when he’s off training alone. His brother has a mission and Shisui is too busy with the police force to help. Apparently the village is all worked up ever since another elder died. But Sasuke doesn’t see why that means his brother has to stay away more. Don’t old people die all the time?

He’s seven, now, and the man still towers over him like Sasuke hasn’t grown at all. It’s not fair.

“You’re holding the handle wrong,” the man says from where he appeared, sitting on a tree stump. “And you’re too stiff.”

He lets out an annoyed huff, arms crossing as he looks at the man, “Yeah, well you’re not helpful, plant guy.”

It earns him a sharp bark of laughter but at least the man gets up to correct him.

He hits the bullseye five times out of ten now and he counts that as a success.

 


	2. Chapter 2

The man visits on his eighth birthday. A book on sealing (whatever _that_ is), and a naginata placed neatly on his bed as gifts.

“I’ll teach you how to use it next time,” he tells Naruto. “Right now you’re a bit young.”

He pouts, blue eyes wide and watery because what’s the point of getting a gift if he can’t use it right away? “But I want to learn _now._ ”

“How about some taijutsu instead?”

He supposes it’s better than nothing, and at least it means the man won’t leave right away.

 

 

It's a year before she sees him again. But when he does come there is a lightness in his step and a pile of scrolls on her desk alongside a box of senbon that wasn’t there before.

“They cover basic chakra theory and the beginning of medical jutsu.”

She picks one up like it might break in her hand, “Thank you.” The words are quieter than she intends them to be, a reverent hush of breath at having this new knowledge made so easy for her to obtain. As she opens the first of them it feels like a bubble has popped in her chest, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

A hand messes her pink hair into a ball of tangled strands, “Look up Tsunade when you go to the library next time. I think you’ll like her.”

She promises.

 

 

Sasuke won’t admit that he’s restless when the man doesn’t appear for a long time.

“Where have you been?” He demands, hands on his hips and eyes narrowed to try and prove how annoyed he is. Not because he’s worried, but because not knowing is an inconvenience.

“I hear you’re graduating early,” the man says instead of answering his question.

“Yeah, with two others.”

The man nods as if this is news to him. “I won’t be around for a liitle bit,” and it’s the first time that he’s ever said anything like it. It makes something in Sasuke’s gut clench - the feeling that _‘a little_ ’ is a lot longer than that. “So play nice and try not to get killed, okay?”

He doesn’t even finish the motion of his nod before the man disappears. He stares at the spot for a long moment, assessing whether or not the objects left behind are safe or if this is all just a trap. He picks them up before turning back home - Shisui should be back by now at least, and he could probably pester his cousin into teaching him a few tricks with a sword.


	3. Chapter 3

The team is not what Naruto expected. He knew the others in passing from class but seeing them up close is different. The pink haired girl - Sakura - is fiddling with a stack of senbon and some purple liquid that makes his spine crawl just _looking_ at it. The Uchiha is sitting with his arms crossed, a sword on his back because Naruto suspects it would be too long to place at his hip.

And their sensei… well, he hasn’t shown up yet, even if Hokage-jiji said he’d be at training ground three two hours ago.

When he _does_ show up it’s with a lazy wave and an excuse involving a cat that Naruto doesn’t believe for a second.

“Alright my cute little students, if you want to stay a part of this team then all you need to do is get one of these bells.” Two bells are held up in front of an eye-smiling face that Naruto is fast wanting to attach with one of his exploding tags to.

“But sensei,” the pink haired girl raises her hand, “there are only two of them.”

“You don't say,” the man drawls, “well, it looks like one of you is going back to the academy.”

 

 

Sakura thinks she is stupid for not realizing earlier. Because now that she sees it she can’t _not_ see it. Naruto and Sasuke both use _his_ style. Or a variation of it, at least. She can pick out the movements and it all makes so much sense.

Or, as much sense as anything concerning _that_ man ever does.

She waits until the next day, when they’re all waiting for their perpetually late sensei to make an appearance. She isn't sure what to say exactly, but what comes out she supposes works for the best.

“That white haired idiot better not make us wait too long.”

“Maa, Sakura-chan my hair is _silver_ ,” Kakashi says, a cloud of smoke clearing away to reveal a slouched form, mission scroll spinning in one hand.

She smiles, innocent and sweet up at her second sensei, “I wasn’t talking about Kaka-sensei.”

It makes the other two jerk strangely and stare at her with wide eyes.

 

 

“You jinxed it,” Sasuke tells her, because it is entirely her fault that he hasn’t shown up in two years.

“I did _not,”_ she sniffs at him.

“You really did, Sakura-chan,” Naruto says, and Sasuke smirks because when even the blond is taking his side it means Sakura can’t fight back.

“Is your mom still cooking us lunch?” Sakura rolls over in the grass until she’s facing them instead of the sky. It’s a clear change in topic but neither of the boys question it.

“Hn,” he gives a noncommittal reply, because his teammates love his mom’s cooking and he knows it will annoy them. Perhaps even earn a spar out of their lazy morning. (They’re supposed to be training, Kakashi having been called out on a mission - something involving his nin-kin if Pakkun’s presence was anything to go by.)

“I thought I raised you better than to pick up that phrase,” a voice that is all too familiar says somewhere near their heads. Sasuke doesn’t move, too comfortable with his head on Naruto’s stomach. The others don’t either, a seemly mutual agreement to not act on the excitement making their hearts race.

He tips his head though, to meet dark eyes, “Hn.”

They’re all up and moving before the fireball even so much as singes the ground.

“At least you haven’t been slacking off since I’ve been gone,” the man says as they spin to face him and pause. There’s another man too, tall and broad with a sword strapped to his back and the smile of a shark.

“Who the hell are you?” Naruto exclaims, saying what all three of them are thinking.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m really curious to see if you guys will get what I’m hinting at. (And to clear up confusion - yes, it’s Obito, but pay attention to his description. It’s the biggest hint to what I’m implying.)

It turns out the fish-man is actually a powerful shinobi. At least that’s what the man _says_. Naruto isn’t all that sure, but from the way he stands, protective and alert, behind their sensei’s back he supposes he must have _some_ skill. Otherwise why would he trust the fish-man like that?

But there are more important things to focus on right now.

“You’re late,” he says.

A white eyebrow is raised, “I never said when I’d be back.”

“It’s been two years,” Sakura crosses her arms from where she stands beside Naruto.

A second eyebrow joins the first, before a smile starts to spread over scarred features, “What’s this? You were worried about me?”

“No,” they all snap at once, eyes glaring.

“It’s inconvenient is all,” Sasuke sniffs.

“Why don’t I make it up to you three,” the man proposes, “I’ll teach you a new jutsu.”

“And katas,” Sakura throws in, and Naruto can’t help but feel happy at her quick thinking to ask for more.

 

 

Sakura decides that she’s going to steal the man’s sword if it’s the last thing she does. It can _absorb_ chakra. Something that would obviously aid her smaller reserves in battle. (Whether she’s working on her seal or not means little if she can’t actually _use_ it.)

With a twist of her hips and a bit of chakra to keep her skin from scrapping too harshly against the rocky ground - it’s not her fault that her punch made the landscape less than grassy - she comes up under his swing and tosses a series of senbon. Should they have hit they would have paralyzed his right arm, but sensei is there to let them phase harmlessly through them both. Sakura grits her teeth with frustration.

“I thought you had him distracted,” Sakura hisses to Naruto and Sasuke as they come up beside her.

“Hn.”

Her eye twitches.

“We tried, -Ra-chan,” Naruto whines, and she takes a moment to glance over at them to check their injuries. (She trusts them enough to warn her should their two opponents move.)

“Plan?”

“We could try-“

“Won’t work,” Sasuke interrupts, “we need to-“

“We already tried that!”

“Then what about that trick with the kunai?”

“I have some poison left,” Sakura asses with a tilt of her head.

“Wire?”

“About twenty yards.”

 

 

He bites forcefully into the rice ball, glaring daggers at the few remaining patches of grass in the training area. This is the third time they’ve faced the duo in the past four months and they haven’t come any closer to beating them. To say he’s frustrated would be an understatement.

“I can’t believe it didn’t work,” Naruto mutters from where he sits on the other side of Sakura.

“The distraction needed to be longer,” Sakura huffs. “And the wire wasn’t infused with chakra.”

“Oi,” the shark man settles beside Naruto, “have enough to share?”

“Back off, fish-face.” Naruto moves his food out of reach, “Mikoto-baa-chan made this for me.”

Sasuke snorts. Really, did he expect any other reaction from the blond?

“What about you?” Sasuke glances over as sensei settles next to him. “Willing to share?”

“Only if you tell us your name,” he bargains - it’s become a game of sorts the last two months. To see which of them could strike the right deal and learn their sensei’s name. (He’s an Uchiha, they know this much with how he can deactivate his sharingans. But the records have no living Uchiha as a missing-nin nor an Uchiha with white hair.)

The man snorts, plucking a rice ball from his plate anyway. They both know he hadn’t put any effort into the question. “I’ll tell you my name when you manage to beat me.”

“Promise?” Naruto pipes up, attention solely on their sensei. (Enough so that Kisame manages to pilfer away some food.) But Sasuke won’t use that against him; a promise means a lot to Naruto - to all of them, really. And so if sensei actually agrees…

“Promise.”


	5. Chapter 5

It’s been almost a year since the fish-man has made his appearance. And Naruto isn’t saying that being thirteen, almost fourteen, is _old_ but it sure _feels_ like it. Especially with the way Kakashi has been running them ragged as of late, as if giving them extra training all the time will make them spill their secrets.

Not. A. Chance.

He made a promise not to tell, and he is damn well going to keep that. Perhaps if their other sensei _told_ them his name, and said it was okay to mention the training they receive on the side he would consider bringing Kaka-sensei into the loop. Maybe. But as it stands he has no intentions of doing so. And if the way his teammates haven’t said anything is to go by, neither do they.

“Do you think he’ll come again before our jounin exams?” Naruto asks as he counts the clouds in the sky.

“Maybe.” Sakura hums, her hand held up into the air. “Do you think poisoned nail polish is a good idea?”

“No,” Naruto and Sasuke chorus. The girl huffs, and Sasuke continues into an explanation about how she doesn’t even use her nails in a fight often enough to justify the effort. Naruto has to give the Uchiha points for trying to lessen her anger.

“I think sensei and fish-man are together,” Sakura speaks up after a few moments of silence.

Sasuke scoffs, “Of course they are, they’re partners.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Naruto can feel the motion of her head shake against his stomach, “I mean _together,_ together. As in a couple.”

“Oh,” Naruto says with all the eloquence he can manage. “Maybe.”

“We should lock them in a closet and find out.”

“Do you think that would count as beating them?”

“Maybe.”

 

 

Sakura spends the time waiting for Kakashi counting out her senbon collection and making sure that the poison coatings for their practice session aren’t _actually_ harmful. Mild paralytics at best. Really, you hit your teammate with an experimental toxin _one_ time, and suddenly you need to triple check your supplies or you can’t even use them.

Naruto was perfectly fine. There’s no way the kyuubi would go and let the boy die. Naruto said it himself, the fox can practically heal anything.

“My dad said that Konoha is starting to have peace talks with one of the smaller nations,” Sasuke says as he comes to sit next to her.

“Baa-chan was talking about that with Shizune-nee,” Naruto chimes in. “Apparently they have a group there that worked to ally the less powerful villages. They’re supposed to come to Konoha soon for negotiations.”

“Do you think we’ll get to meet any of the representatives?” Sakura asks as she starts piling the senbon back into her pouch. “I wonder if I’ll be able to talk with a medic or if they have a poison expert. Do you think they have different plants in Ame because of all the rain, like Suna and Kumo?”

“As full of questions as ever,” their sensei’s voice comes from behind them. “The answer is yes.”

Sakura narrows her eyes at the man, “To which one.”

A shark grin, much like his partner, spreads across a scarred face, “Land a hit in our spar and you’ll find out.”

She blinks up at him, innocent and sweet, “But sensei, Kaka-sensei will be here soon.”

“Pity,” the man tilts his head, “I guess you won’t find out then.”

Sakura looks him up and down, scanning their surroundings for any sign of Kisame and finds none. She casts a quick glance over at her boys and sees that they’ve noticed as well. It makes a frown of worry tug at her lips, “Where’s fish-face?”

“Mission.” The man waves off, a wicked smirk taking over his features, “Who would have thought my cute little students would care so much?”

“We don’t care,” they cry out, grins starting to spread over their own faces. It’s become a game of sorts; a routine, for this joke to pass between them each time they wonder after their wayward sensei.

“It’s just inconvenient,” Sasuke finishes as always.

“Keep telling yourselves that,” sensei laughs. “So, what’s this I hear about you three becoming jounin?”

Naruto lights up from beside Sakura and she can’t help but smile as the blonde starts rambling off about how they’ve had several instructors recommend them for promotion and that the Hokage would personally oversee their exams. (And if Sakura takes note of the way their sensei’s eyes soften, and a look like adoration flickers across his face?)

 

 

It’s official. He hates the rain. It gets everywhere and makes his clothes so much heavier. His hair hasn’t been out of his eyes since they started their trek into Amegakure’s territory, and only the hope that the village will be slightly dryer has kept him going at all.

Not that complaining will do him any good, Kaka-sensei would just give him that irritating eye smile and come up with some lame proverb about how this is good for them. At least, that’s what happened when Naruto spoke up.

He can’t say he’s all that surprised when they reach Ame’s gates and the place is just as waterlogged as the rest of the country. (If anything it seems to rain here _more_.) A woman with hair made dark by the downpour and a cloak of red clouds meets them by the gates with the most impassive face Sasuke has ever seen. She doesn’t even try smiling in greeting, only looks them over with a blank gaze.

“Welcome to Amegakure,” she says.  “I will take you to meet our leader immediately.”

With that she turns on her heal and starts walking with full expectation that they will follow. They do, of course, but the arrogance of it all grates at his pride. They didn’t even _search_ them. Which means they either are too stupid to think there could be a potential attack, or think that team seven is such low of a threat that it’s not worth the bother.

From the way Sakura’s eyes are narrowed, and Naruto almost rolls his out of his head, his teammates are experiencing the same frustration.

It’s normal, however, to be so thoroughly underestimated. They are still only fifteen regardless of what the bingo book says of their skill or that they already made jounin - considered for ANBU.

They are just inside the gates when a large shape lands without sound next to their guide. The figure is tall, taller than any of the surrounding shinobi. And when Sasuke spots the sword on his back he _knows_ , without hesitation he steps onto Naruto’s foot, stopping the blonde from saying anything that could give something away. Sakura seems to have the same idea, both of them catching the blonde mid-step. The next thing Sasuke knows is that Naruto is falling and a hand is in his flak jacket dragging him down as well. He lets out a grunt as he slams into the muddy ground, and a groan is forced from him as Sakura’s elbow jams into his side.

“This is all your fault,” Sakura hisses out, loud enough for those around them to catch. To anyone else it would seem she was blaming Naruto or Sasuke but he knows that it is truly directed at the smirking swordsman.

Kakashi looks at them with a tired sort of acceptance, and no little amount of confusion as they pulls themselves up. The look promises a long and annoying lecture later on. Sasuke’s scowls down at the mud caking up his front and scrunches up his noise as he feels it clumped in his hair.

“This is who Konoha sends?” Kisame chuckles, “I didn’t realize standards had dropped so low.”

Sakura’s leather gloves creak, a promise for broken bones the next time fish-face decides to drop in for a visit. Kisame may not stop smirking, but Sasuke swears he sees his eyes flicker with a look only dead men wear.  


	6. Chapter 6

The meeting with Ame’s leader - Yahiko, apparently recently reinstated after being mistaken as dead instead of simply injured - and his closest two advisors - Konan, and Nagato - lasts all of ten minutes. Enough time for introductions and statements of intentions before Kisame is being ordered to whisk them off to their rooms for the duration of their stay. But Naruto only peripherally pays attention to all of this, because _Kisame_ is in Amegakure. _Fish-face._ Their sensei’s _partner._

As soon as the door to their room closes Naruto is whipping around to his teammates, “That was-“

“Shut it,” Sakura hisses.

“But, that was _fish-face,_ ” Naruto exclaims, tone as soft as his incredulousness can let him make it. “Why is he _here?_ Does sensei know?”

“Naruto,” Sasuke says sharply. “Shut up before Kaka-sensei hears.”

“Hears what?”

They don’t jump. Jounin don’t startle at something as simple as their sensei appearing behind them. It is entirely unprofessional, and Naruto likes to think he is Hokage material enough not to jump.

“Nothing,” they chorus.

“Maa, you know it’s rude to keep secrets.”

“We’re shinobi,” Sasuke snorts, crossing his arms. “That’s what we _do._ ”

“But not towards your team leader you don’t,” his eye-smile only gets larger when he tilts his head to the side slightly. It’s a joke, they all know - Kakashi won’t actually press, or pull rank - but Naruto saw the way the man’s eye sparked when they said ‘nothing’. Sparked with a resigned light.

It’s been years and years since sensei came into their lives, longer than Kakashi and so Naruto holds more loyalty to their mysterious visitor and the promise he made than the man before him, but only just. Because Kakashi may not be the best sensei in the world but Naruto cares for him. They all do. Enough to drag him to team dinners and make sure his dogs are looked after when he’s gone on long missions. So, Naruto thinks, it’s only natural that them withholding this kind of information would hurt, because there is no way that Kaka-sensei doesn’t know they’ve been keeping secrets from him all these years. No way a shinobi of his caliber wouldn’t realize that his students have being going behind his back, that they don’t trust him enough to tell him everything. Because despite them all tutoring under another sensei within the village Kakashi must know that they haven’t learned all their tricks from Konoha’s ranks. And it must confuse him, and hurt that they won’t tell him. Naruto’s been there. He’s been on the outside before and he _knows_ that pain. That loneliness he had before sensei came. Knows. And it _aches_ that he knows he’s putting Kakashi through it.

When he glances over at Sakura and Sasuke he can see the understanding there too, and the look they share speaks volumes.

They need to tell Kakashi-sensei.

 

 

 

 

“We need to get in contact with sensei first,” Sakura tells them as they settle down for the night, all their beds pushed together into one. (It’s not something she had really given much thought to before; telling Kaka-sensei. But he had looked… lost, almost sad with how they constantly keep him away from so many secrets. It makes something in her chest ache to see him like that, to see someone she considers precious in pain, especially when she swore to protect them.)

Naruto snorts, “How? It’s not like we can summon him or anything.”

“Fish-face,” Sakura explains. “We’ll tell him we need to get in contact with sensei.”

“And then what?” Sasuke asks. “We don’t have years to wait.”

“I know,” Sakura rolls her eyes. “But I don’t see _you_ coming up with any ideas.”

“Hn.”

There’s a pause before Naruto shifts and Sakura can no longer feel his head on her stomach, “Should we be doing this?”

“Doing what, Naruto?” Sakura shifts her head to look at him.

“Telling Kaka-sensei,” Naruto mutters, his usual smile nowhere to be seen. “We promised sensei we wouldn’t tell.”

“That’s why we’re asking him,” Sasuke huffs. Sakura is only just able to see Sasuke’s arm reach over and pull Naruto’s head back down. “It’s not breaking a promise if he says we can, dobe.”

“Teme,” Naruto grumbles out, but it has no heat behind it.

There’s a knock on the door and Sakura can feel more than hear the collective grown from her boys. “Clone?” She asks hopefully, because Naruto has _mastered_ the shadow clone jutsu - even sensei says so, and thus whatever chakra he expends returns to him. And besides, the blond has enough chakra to make a hundred clones and still take on any potential attackers.

“Yeah,” Naruto mutters, a puff of smoke later and Sakura hums out a thanks.

The door opens and she doesn’t bother to open her eyes until the sound of footsteps stops at the end of their bed.

“As lazy as ever, I see,” Kisame says with a chuckle. “I don’t think sensei would approve.”

“Speaking of sensei,” Sasuke shifts slightly, “we need to talk to him.”

“Oh?” Kisame tilts his head to the side in question, his sharp teeth bared for them all to see. “And what do I get for relaying your little message?”

“I won’t pound your face six feet into the earth,” Sakura hums.

Kisame snickers, “Girly, you’ve been trying to do that for years, what makes you think it’ll work this time?”

“Food?” Naruto offers before Sakura can do anything.

Kisame’s grin widens, “Now we’re talking.”

It’s not hard to find a place to eat; one sequestered away from the rest of the ninja population.

“So,” Kisame starts, pausing to stuff his mouth full of the greasy food that the bar they’ve huddled into serves. (They left behind a note, because Kakashi would be able to tell if Naruto had made shadow clones.) “You want to tell this Kakashi that you’ve been getting training on the side, but you wanted to make sure it was okay with me and sensei first?”

They all nod their heads.

Kisame chuckles, “Loyal little bunch, ain’t ya?”

“A promise-“

“-Means you can’t go back on your word,” Sasuke and Sakura finished for Naruto. She holds back a sigh, she can’t even keep track of how many times her teammate has said this.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Sakura looks at the man with skepticism.

“I’ll ask.”

 

 

 

They leave Ame and seem to bring the rain with them.

“This is the largest storm we’ve had in years,” Sakura says factually, because she is walking encyclopedia at the best of times with how much Lady Tsunade and sensei make her memorize.

“This is all your fault, teme,” Naruto whines as he dodges a volley of kunai.

“How?” Sasuke snaps back, twisting out of the way of the wires attached and sending out a fireball to cover their retreat.

“It just is.”

Sasuke just huffs, ducking behind a tree and flashing a hand sign to let Naruto know they’ve moved on to the next plan. He just hopes Sakura gets the message from her position in the branches to their right.

(Probably. With how bad that attempt went he has no doubt she’s smart enough to realize they’ve moved on.

But just as they’re about to advance a familiar set of chakra signatures brushes his senses and he freezes, sharingan eyes wide. A glance in his teammates’ directions and it tells him that they’ve felt it too.

The rain is suddenly a lot warmer than before.

Sakura is the first to react, leaping from her position with the might of a woman who has been wronged - and Sasuke doesn’t want to even think about what it would be like to get hit with that fist, even as it goes right through sensei. _Of course._

“A _week,_ ” Sakura growls out as the earth splits beneath her punch, although not nearly as violently as Sasuke knows she can make it the effect still leaves the air hanging with debris that the rain works hard to clear away. “You said two days! And you made us wait a _week_! Do you have any idea how annoying it was to drag Kaka-sensei’s lazy ass to the training ground every day!”

Sasuke slips from his spot, Naruto following close behind. Sakura’s ire is not completely without reason; sensei _had_ said that he would meet them within two days at training ground three, and to bring Kakashi along. And yet, it’s been an entire week since that day - back when they had still been on their mission, trekking back from Ame and Kakashi had gone out to check the perimeter.

“Well, you see-“ sensei starts, side stepping another punch.

“No,” Sakura points a finger at him, “no excuses.”

“Maa, maa,” Kakashi’s figure weaves around the boulders, the dust in the air finally settling. “Sakura-chan why don’t you intro-“ Kakashi freezes in his tracks, eyes wide and a look on his face like he’s seen a ghost. Sasuke has never seen him reach for his sharingan faster.

Sensei chuckles, awkward and stilted and Sasuke suddenly realizes that there is more to all of this than he knew, “Long time no see, Bakashi.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My lovely readers,  
> I hope you guys know I have no idea what I'm doing with this story... so like... no plan or outline... and yeah. It'll be fun because I still don't know how or when it'll end!

Naruto is confused. And, despite what his teammates might like to think, that doesn’t happen _that_ often. But from the looks of it Sakura and Sasuke are in the same boat as him, and that, at least, makes him feel slightly better.

But no less confused.

Because Kaka-sensei is staring at sensei like he’s seeing a ghost, and sensei had just called Kakashi _Bakashi._ And all Naruto can do is wonder how they know each other.

“Sensei,” he calls out, taking a step forward, “what’s going on?”

“Naruto stay back!” Kakashi-sensei calls just as sensei turns to look at him apologetically. “Go tell the Hokage we have an intruder in the village.”

“What are you talking about?” Sakura moves forward as well. And now Kaka-sensei is looking at them like they’re insane. “”Kaka-sensei, we’ve known this man since we were five.”

“Sakura,” Kaka-sensei sounds strained, “this man is impersonating a shinobi that died during the third war, Uchiha Obito.”

“I’m really not,” their sensei - _Obito,_ Naruto latches onto that name with glee - says. “And I didn’t _die_ on that mission. Madara saved me.” The word ‘saved’ is spit out like poison, as if the act of being made safe and whole was something that their sensei regretted.

“Uchiha Madara,” Kakashi says with disbelief. “A dead Uchiha saved you from death.”

Obito-sensei hums, rocking on his heels. “Pretty much. It’s a much better excuse than the ones you come up with, I think.”

“Then why didn’t you return to Konoha?” Kakashi asks, and it is then that Naruto realizes he is _stalling_ to better assess weaknesses.

Sensei’s face becomes blank so fast Naruto barely even caught the shift without blinking. “That’s a long story, let’s just say I got lost on the road of life.”

“Maa, maa, you insulted my excuses and now you’re using them? How rude.”

“Not nearly as rude as sending a clone underground to try and ambush me,” Sensei says with his usual cheer. “Besides, they were mine first.”

They fight. They fight and Naruto doesn’t know whether he should step in or not and even less who he should be helping. They fight and it is amazing. Packed with distractions and misleads, with jutsu and taijutsu and weapons.

And talking.

Because Obito-sensei is talking the _entire_ time, rushed words that Naruto can only catch a handful of over the sound of explosions and clashing weapons. Something about forgiveness and a girl named Rin. But whatever he says makes Kakashi waver, and that’s all that sensei needs to get the upper hand. Their battle doesn’t end nearly as flashily as it started.

Kaka-sensei is pinned beneath sensei with eyes so wide Naruto is surprised they haven't fallen out.

“Maybe we should lock _them_ in a closet,” Sakura murmurs, and Naruto fights back a laugh.

“Obito,” Naruto hears Kakashi say. “ _Obito_. But, _how?_ ”

“I told you.” And sensei is letting Kaka-sensei go, slow movements as to make sure that he won’t do anything. “Madara saved me and the rest isn’t really all that important.”

Obito offers a hand for Kakashi to take. When he takes it Naruto feels like something beyond just the physical battle has been settled.

And then Kaka-sensei punches Obito in the face.

“That,” Kakashi says with finality, “is for being so late.”

 

 

 

Sakura has never seen Kakashi-sensei look as lost as when Obito-sensei (and she is _still_ entirely smug about how they got his name without having to truly defeat. Smug and a little disappointed that such a victory was taken from her) leaves Konoha. The man spends _hours_ staring blankly at the memorial stone - longer than he usually does. And Sakura doesn’t know what to do about it. Doesn’t know where to even start besides having dinner ready for him, and his dogs fed each day.

Although she thinks should could understand - if Naruto or Sasuke had pulled what their sensei had then she thinks she wouldn’t want to leave so soon either.

“Naruto,” Sakura calls out, bringing the last plate to the table, “it’s your turn to go-“

She’s cut off by the door opening, and turns to see Kakashi walk in, his eyes a little less lost and his stride purposeful. Sakura tracks him as he comes to sit at the table.

“You three have a lot of explaining to do.”

They had been expecting this. Thought it would come so much _sooner,_ but Kakashi-sensei is always late.

“Hn.”

“Now, now, Sasuke-chan,” Kaka-sensei gives an eye-smile. “None of that.”

“He’s our sensei,” Naruto says, before rubbing the back of his neck, “I mean, our _other_ sensei, sensei.”

“And my cute little students didn’t think to tell me they had someone else, because?”

“We promised.” Naruto’s eyes are made of sky blue steel and Sakura straightens her back in show of support for the statement.

“You promised. A shinobi you didn’t know shows up and starts training you-“

“It wasn’t like that,” Sakura exclaims. “He just came by and- and checked on us at first.”

There is no need to ask why. Why did they trust him so easily? Why did they not think he had bad intentions? Why did they welcome him back?

There is no need, because the answer curls like vines around the room, obvious and constricting. For children so young the worst thing in the world is being alone. And they were. They had been so painfully alone - bullied, pushed aside, friendless. And when they met sensei it had been like a light in that darkness. When they met sensei they had realized they didn’t need to be alone. That they _weren’t_.

 

 

 

Sasuke did not like dealing with emotions. Did not like thinking about them, or talking about them, and that is something he and Kakashi had connected on at a very early time in their team. And now, with Sakura and Naruto working so hard to bring Kakashi out of his shell Sasuke can only feel sympathy. The duo had done the same thing to him, although over a longer period of time.

He just hopes that sensei returns soon so he could try and beat Kakashi out of his slump. The man is practically useless - even after the confrontation about why they hadn’t said anything. All he does is stare at the memorial stone and wonder around the village in a daze.

It calls for a plan.

“Gai.”

“Huh?” Naruto looks up from his spot on the floor where he was sharpening kunai.

“We need to get Gai,” Sasuke elaborates.

Naruto’s eyes light up, “Should we tell Sakura?”

“Hn,” Sasuke rises to his feet. “She’ll be mad that we interrupted her.”

“Oh, right,” Naruto nods sagely. “She’s on hospital duty today.”

Sakura on hospital duty is brutal and may or may not feature in a few of his nightmares. For good reason, too, because the last time they disturbed her shift she punched them through the fourth story wall.

Which means they’ll have to hunt down the green beast on their own and _pray_ that Gai doesn’t manage to rope them into one of his insane training sessions.

It takes three training grounds, a trip around the village walls, and a check through the market districts to finally find the man in the jounin standby station. With a nod at each other Naruto and Sasuke enter the station, heads held high as they approach the man.

“Ah! My eternal rival’s youthful students!” The man beams at them, and Sasuke _swears_ that whatever sparkles surround him aren’t genjutsu. (He’s heard his relatives mutter about it enough to know it’s something else entirely.) “What brings you here?”

“We were looking for you.” It’s best to be blunt, Sasuke has learned. Because it will get them out of this man’s path faster.

“You see, Kakashi-sensei has been really down lately,” Naruto rushes to continue. “And we were wondering if you could cheer him up?”


	8. Chapter 8

Sakura finds them hiding in Itachi’s closet two hours later, a hand on her hip and a pink eyebrow raised as she looks at them like the pathetic shinobi they are. It makes Naruto wince, because the last time she looked at them like that they’d been beaten six feet deep into the training ground.

“This is the first place he would look, you know?”

“Itachi’s off duty.” Sasuke snorts.

“Do you really think your brother could stop him?”

“Hn.”

She rolls her eyes, “Come on, we’ll face this like we always have when Kaka-sensei’s mad.”

“By drinking or running away?”

There’s a smack on the back of his head, “It’s called a strategic retreat, dobe.”

“ _Together,_ idiots,” Sakura grabs both of them by the flak jacket and hauls them to their feet with ease. “I think what you did was a good idea. Although, if the Hokage ever finds out she’ll want to have a few words.”

They _both_ wince at that. For all that Sakura is terrifying, Tsunade-baa-chan can be even _worse_. If only because she can send them on d-ranks for as long as she likes.

“How mad do you think Kaka-sensei is?” Naruto asks tentatively.

 

 

“So,” Obito-sensei asks from his position in a tree above them, “what’d you do to deserve d-ranks?”

“We told Gai Kaka-sensei was feeling down,” Naruto explains between pulling up weeds. It’s been a few weeks since then, and Kaka-sensei _still_ hasn’t relented. It was either d-ranks or he tells Tsunade-shishou what _really_ happened to her liquor supply.

“Aren’t those two idiots dating?” Kisame tilts his head to look down at them. It makes Sakura pause in her mission, muscles bunching together as indignation rushes through her.

“What?”

“Yeah,” Obito says, ignoring her question. “It’s been two or three weeks, I think.”

Sakura is going to _pulverize_ Kaka-sensei.

But first…

“Does that mean you two will join them for double dates?”

 

 

A month. They did d-ranks for a _month_ as punishment for cheering Kakashi up.

“We’ll never help him again,” Sasuke declared.

Naruto snorted around his ramen, “Don’t get your panties in such a twist, teme. At least Kaka-sensei is acting normal.”

“Since when was he normal?”

“Normal for him, okay?”

“Hn.”

He doesn’t even blink when his bowl of ramen is replaced by an empty one, too used to Naruto’s habits to protest anymore.

Sasuke won’t admit it out loud, even under pain of death, but it is good to see Kakashi back to what is considered normal for team seven. That is to say, perpetually late, completely obtuse, and entirely happy to let them figure everything out on their own.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Ello lovely readers,  
> This is the last chapter, I really dont know a better place or way to end thia story, I know it's a bit short but it's been fun and I hopr you all enjoyed.  
> The title was inspired be the song "Can't trust the news" by Enter The Haggis. You guys should definitely listen.  
> Anyway, onto the chapter!

 

 

He’s twenty when man that can make himself appear out of thin air visits him for the first time in the Hokage office. The hat only recently set on his head. The first thing Naruto notices is the way his eyes look prideful. Sparkling with a smile that Naruto knows his sensei too well to expect will ever fully show on his lips. But that’s okay, because Naruto smiles wide enough for the both of them.

“Do you want to share some ramen?” He asks, because it’s the best food there is and the only kind that could possibly be eaten in such a situation. Besides, he could always leave a shadow clone to finish up the rest of his paper work.

Obito snorts, his feet shifting to compensate for the way he crosses his arms, “Sure, why not?”

“Where’s Kisame?” Naruto pulls himself to his feet, a clone taking his place not a moment later.

“Sakura stole him at the gates,” Obito shrugs. “She’s still trying to get his sword.”

Obito-sensei visits them more often now than before so the visit isn’t really anything too special, except for how it sort of _is._ Because this is his first official week as Hokage. Tsunade handing the hat down to him with a flick to his forehead, and a threat about destroying the village her grandfather founded. Because Obito doesn’t look at him the way everyone else does. There is warmth, but from a mentor’s fondness, not from inspiration at the title he now holds. Because they walk on equal ground to Ichiraku’s, without the stifling weight of rank between them. (His closest friends don’t show it, but so many shinobi and villagers do that it’s refreshing when it disappears.)

“So,” Obito-sensei starts, “the Orange Hokage, ne?”

Naruto huffs out a laugh, scratching as his cheek, but unable to hide his smile. “Yeah.”

“You always keep your promises, don’t you?” The words are whispered, and Naruto suspects he isn’t mean to hear. But he does, and the words confuse him, but then again sensei has always managed to confuse him at least once during his visits.

When there meal is finished sensei doesn’t leave right away. Instead he takes Naruto to a training ground and they run each other into the ground. Kurama roaring in his head at the opportunity to fight the Uchiha once more. Naruto can’t help but agree with his friend.

 

 

 

The second time Sakura meets Obito in her hospital it’s to find him leaning casually against her desk with a sword in his hands. The purple outfit he used to wear now a mere shirt and dark pants, and his white hair cut short.

She’s twenty-one and she just got out of a twelve-hour surgery that used up more chakra than expected. One of the nurses passed out half-way through and Sakura took over her job as well. Still, she’s not exhausted enough to lack excitement at the presence of her old sensei, nor the massive sword he bears.

“Long day?”

“Sensei,” she greets, “you have no idea.”

Obito smirks slightly, “Well, if you’re too tired then I guess I’ll just give kubikurubocho to someone else.”

Sakura narrows her eyes, fists clenching, “Don’t you dare.”

His smile is all teeth, “It belonged to one of the seven swordsmen of the mist, but he died not too long ago on a mission. She needs a new master.”

The way he raises an eyebrow is nothing but a challenge and Sakura can feel her smile growing into something predatory, “Oh, look at that, my shift ends early today.”

 

 

 

The third time Sasuke finds the man in his and Naruto’s shared apartment it’s when the blond has the great pleasure of planning for the chuunin exams and has taken to sleeping in his office more often than not. Sakura is running a double shift at the hospital to look after the newer recruits and Sasuke only just got back from his most recent ANBU mission. But there is no doubt that within an hour the rest of his team will be piling into the Hokage mansion for whatever food Sasuke can pull together.

“You’re holding it wrong,” Obito tells him, “you’ll end up burning yourself or the pan if you keep doing that.”

Sasuke shoots him a nasty look but steps back from the stove to let his sensei explain. It’s not that he can’t cook, but it’s just that Naruto is the one who normally makes the more complicated meals, and Sasuke cleans up. If Naruto isn’t home he’ll normally eat instant food, but they’re all out and Sasuke knows that Sakura will beat him into the ground if he tries to feed her instant ramen.

So Sasuke just leans against the counter, arms crossed as he watches his sensei, “It’s been peaceful lately.”

Obito hum, “It has.”

“Naruto’s even been talking about raising the graduation age because out death tolls have been lowering.”

Obito eyes him from the side, “It’s a smart move. Children deserve their childhood.”

Sasuke hums, eyes caught on the picture of his team photo hanging on the wall, the nagging feeling that something - or _someone_ \- is missing prickling his nerves. Maybe they should take another one. This time with everyone included.

When he glances back over at sensei it’s to find that the food is going dark with burns and he can’t help but roll his eyes, “You’re not doing any better than I was, you plant.”

All the same, when Naruto comes home that night, an exhausted Sakura, smug Kisame, and annoyed-looking Kakashi in tow Sasuke can’t help but be a little prideful at the way the meal is devoured. It’s peaceful, truly. Or, Sasuke notes as Naruto waves his arms about with loud complaints about paperwork, as peaceful as it can be.


End file.
